mrbrown's blog containing his popular and satirical musings on the dysfunctional side of Singapore life, and Home of the National Conversation since 1997.

Random Rants

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Youtube user Galaxnite uploaded this video (please next time don't shoot vertical videos leh) of the infamous SMRT bus 190 that is always overcrowded and often impossible to board. I have taken 190 before and it is a sucky ride.

SMRT released a media statement after the video went viral and said they would "continue to monitor the situation closely as part of our commitment to deliver a positive customer experience."

Yeah right. The customer service is terrible. Have you tried complaining to them before? I have. In fact, I did it on the 3rd of Sept 2013, more than a month ago, about one of their drivers who didn't give way to my bicycle. Included a freaking DIAGRAM of the incident some more.

NO. REPLY. YET.

This is the kind of responsiveness you can expect from SMRT.

No wonder the response to the Bus 190 media statement was rage and anger.

Choa Chu Kang (CCK) and Bukit Panjang (BP) residents like the 190 bus because it takes them to town faster than even the MRT. HWZ forummer iceandfire wrote:

"I had to laugh while reading this… Because it's just so normal to me already. Like don't affect me. It's forever crowded.

I've lived in Choa Chu Kang for over 23 years & I take 190 every single day. Used to live in BP, everyday also 190 to and fro.

It is the fastest and convenient mode of transport to Orchard from CCK or BP. MRT can take up to 10 mins longer & sibeh mafan. Change here, there for Green Line, JE too crowded cannot breathe. Red line keep stop at Ang Mo Kio, Yishun. Now train forever faulty. One whole platform already filled, train can break down somemore. Come I clap for you SMRT.

190 is really the best way to go to town from CCK or BP.

The bus is a bit weird weird de. The frequency is about 5 mins but sometimes a bit off then long queue even at CCK interchange. There were a few times I just missed the bus then I ended up waiting 20 mins… at the interchange.

But the bus overcrowding is the absolute best.

Some old uncle and aunties will sit at the side. Put their plastic bags on the seats and even when crowded, they ignore then just act like nothing happened. Once I saw a kid, maybe about 3-5 years ask if she can sit there, the uncle just ignore her. The girl's mother end up just shake head then ask the girl to walk.

One time I saw this guy's leg all bandaged up. Not one person in the bus even let him sit down.

Then there are times people don't know how to move in. Uncle always end up shouting. That's why you can go in from exit. You tap in front then go in from exit.

Those handicap buses are the worst. Nobody wants to move in because it is horrible to stand at the back where you can barely balance.

Now they deploy LTA people or something to stand at the last bus stop of BP before highway already. But so time consuming. Uncle will shout la, they ask to move in la but end product people also don't move in.

Btw, if I go home from town… I will usually walk 2-3 bus stops away or just take the bus straight from Outram so it is from one end to the other. I sound so lazy but it's true. Why must I let my legs suffer more after suffering an entire day at work?

OH AND PEOPLE DO CHOOSE NOT TO TAKE THE BUS AND WOULD RATHER WAIT. WHY? BECAUSE NO SEATS.

Which is why I find it stupid when they decided to remove the seats so more people can board. The minute you see people standing, you will auto think bus is full and you won't board."

The HWZ forum discussion went from the bus 190 itself to life in Choa Chu Kang, god_of_smallthings wrote:

"Why would anyone want to retire in CCK?

1. It is crowded as hell.
2. There are no interesting amenities.
3. They have never heard of fresh air there.
4. It is far from the causeways.
5. They expect most of the children there to go to ITE.
6. Lot 1 has 4 cinema screens and 5 ushers.
7. The roads are just complete spiderly convoluted crap.
8. It is full of foreigners.
9. It is the furthest place in Singapore from town, even further than Changi Village."

CCK is where children's hopes and dreams go to die."

Wah, CCK so jialat life ah? And with a overcrowded 190 SMRT bus, maybe that's why people from there are so bitter sia. Haha!

Thursday, October 17, 2013

"ST headline: Woman allegedly files false police report to get a day off from work

A 22-year-old woman lodged a police report on Oct 9 stating that an unknown man riding a bicycle snatched her handbag at about 6.15am at Sembawang Drive. She claimed her bag contained an ez-link card and personal items.

The woman made the false report so that she could be absent from work as she had used up her leave entitlement, the police said in a media statement. Her boyfriend instigated her to make the report."

"Took this on the way to Bishan from Paya Lebar on the circle line at around 9.30pm on 08/09/2013.

Before that the auntie on the priority seat and the woman standing was telling this China guy nicely that he was leaning on the pole and the woman standing didn't have a place to hold on to. The China guy proceeded to shout at the auntie that he can do whatever the hell he wants and I think he proceeded to insult Singaporeans. (didn't catch what he said as I was on earphones)

One uncle at the other end then stepped in and told him he was at fault by leaning against the pole when the train is so crowded and to stop insulting Singaporeans.

Highlight: at 40 seconds China guy made a death threat and said he will kill the uncle if the uncle went to China."

Sunday, July 07, 2013

First they were told their 3-year-old had a fall at his childcare centre, First Skool at Toa Payoh. Then they had the presence of mind to demand to see the CCTV footage and the videos showed their son being dragged to a corner and roughly pushed down, and later dragged away when he couldn't stand properly.

Doctors at KK Hospital confirmed that the boy had a hairline fracture in the shin (seen in this photo shared by his parents on Facebook).

The father took videos of the CCTV footage and uploaded them to YouTube.

I hope the law comes down hard on this child abuse case. Shocking stuff. I just visited the parents' Facebook page at 3am, and they say their 3-year-old has been waking up every half an hour screaming in pain. I feel their anguish, man. Be strong and get well soon, little boy!

Parents of a 3 year boy have lodged a police report against a pre-school teacher for allegedly abusing their son, and causing him to suffer a fracture on his leg.

The incident allegedly happened on Friday morning.

Video clips from CCTV recordings at the My First Skool centre in Toa Payoh Central which showed the incident, have since gone viral.

One clip showed a woman dragging a young boy to a corner of the classroom, and pushing him to the floor.

A second clip showed the boy - still in the corner - trying but failing to stand on his own, and then being dragged away by the same woman.

The boy's mother told 938LIVE she was informed by staff of the centre while she was at work that her child was complaining of pain, and that he had had a fall.

At the KK Women's and Children's Hospital, doctors confirmed the boy has a hairline fracture in his shin.

When the parents returned to the pre-school centre, they demanded to see the CCTV recording of the classroom, following which they filed a police report.

When contacted, police confirmed they are investigating the incident.

A spokesperson for My First Skool said they are co-operating fully with the police on the case of alleged child abuse.

And the teacher involved has been suspended from all duties with immediate effect.

The spokesperson said the safety and welfare of the children in their care is their top priority, and they take this responsibility very seriously.

She added: "Our main focus now is the child's welfare and we will do all we can to assist the family on the care of the child during this period. The centre principal was with the child at all times during his visit to the doctors yesterday. The parents of the child has requested for a transfer to another centre in our network and we are doing all possible to manage this transition in the best interests of the child."

Thursday, July 04, 2013

"Good morning. In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world, and you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind.

Mankind, that… word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences any more. We will be united in our common interest. Perhaps it's fate that today is the 4th of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom. Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution, but from annihilation.

We're fighting for our right to live, to exist and should we win the day, the 4th of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day when the world declared in one voice, 'We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on, we're going to survive.' Today we celebrate our Independence Day!"

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono is this week's winner for Dumbass Remark of the Week. In a press conference, Mr Lakson accused Singaporeans of "behaving like a small child" over the haze.

The minister for people's welfare also said Jakarta would reject any offer of financial aid from Singapore unless it was a large amount.

"Unless (Singapore) wants to give us a large amount, we won't consider accepting it," he said. "If it is only half a million, or one million dollars, we don't need that. We would rather use our own national budget."

JAKARTA - A senior Indonesian minister has hit out at Singapore on the haze, saying: "Singapore shouldn't be like children, in such a tizzy."

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono, who is coordinating his country's relief and response efforts, told a press conference on Thursday: "Indonesian citizens also need to be looked after, there are hundreds."

"It's not what Indonesians want, it's nature," he added.

Earlier, he told reporters that Singapore said nothing when there was fresh air, but complained about the occasional haze.

Mr Agung also rebutted criticisms that Indonesia had yet to ratify an Asean agreement on transboundary haze pollution.

"Singapore is like that. The border issue hasn't been settled, neither has extradition, corruption."

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

This music video by the PUB has now taken over the mantle of Lamest Music Video ever made by a Government Agency from the previous title holder: the MDA Rap. Talk about going viral for all the wrong reasons.

Not only is the song and dance lame, the music video features creepy scenes like the water mascot, Water Wally, watching a kid take a shower.

Sure, I understand the need to teach kids to save water and bathe in less than five minutes. But a music video featuring possessed people who have lost control of their bodies and are being made to dance to some bizarre moves?

I was so annoyed by this Gangnam-style wannabe video that Marc and I wrote our own shower song. We didn't write it while we were in the shower together, don't worry. Go listen to our silly parody.

Oh by the way, they are going to teach all our kids the dance moves in the PUB video at school. I am going to teach my kids if they see a water-droplet-shaped mascot opening their toilet door while they are bathing, they should not be breaking into dance, but kicking said mascot between its legs and calling for help.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

After reading it, I decided that it was full of mistakes and Ivy Ong-Wood articulated it best:

"This is such a badly researched article. I expected more of the BBC, especially given that you have a base in Singapore and the "correspondent" claims to have been brought up here.

1) "Restaurants serving Singapore's fusion cuisine called Peranakan used to be hard to find." No, such restaurants have been around for as long as Peranakans have been around in S'pore.

2) Lapis is layer, not ladder. I don't know where she got her ladder analogy from.

3) "They were not allowed to bring women with them..." Not allowed? Voyage was expensive so only the breadwinners came, there was no question of permission.

4) "…this marriage of cultures has been called Peranakan, which means descendant" Peranakan means native-born, from the Malay root word "anak", not descendent.

5) "Peranakan culture, which used to be considered a disadvantaged background, was now chic." No, the Peranakans were considered the elites. Their children went to schools in England and they were closely allied to the British so they were local managers and big businessmen.

Please do your research properly. These are very basic facts. Your "correspondent" should at least have asked round the Singapore office. They could have put her right before such an embarrassing article came out."

Pro tip: Do NOT piss off a Peranakan about our culture, history and food.